EMI sold to universal

[Guest]

With the news that EMI has been sold to Universal whither the EMI Classical catalogue. Is the takeover likely to be good or bad for recorded music buyers? It creates a massive catalogue, which must be by my reckoning about 60% of all recorded music, with 20-25% Sony/BMG, 10-15% Warner and the rest smaller independent labels.

[Mahlerei]

EMI Classics lost the plot ages ago, and are only good for back catalogue these days. The dreadful Pappano Mahler 6 just confirms how far they have fallen since the halcyon days of the 1960s and 70s.

[Don Petter]

One might hope that preservation of that back catalogue is one of the good things about the sale, though it seems the EU might yet block the deal.

[amateur51]

The dreadful Pappano Mahler 6 just confirms how far they have fallen since the halcyon days of the 1960s and 70s.

Very concerned to hear that it's disappointing, Mahlerei as I was looking forward to listening to it.

Could you say a bit more about the causes of your disappointment please?

[Ferretfancy]

One indifferent performance of a Mahler symphony and the walls of civilisation crumble!

[Nick Armstrong]

Very concerned to hear that it's disappointing, Mahlerei as I was looking forward to listening to it.

Could you say a bit more about the causes of your disappointment please?

Seconded. I hear William Mival is including new Mahler in a survey in next Saturday's CD Review - I have a feeling this one will feature

[Mahlerei]

Morning Am51, Caliban

Yes, I was looking forward to it as well, but in the event it's terribly overblown - the antithesis of Zinman, for instance - and Pappano just doesn't seem to have a grip on the architecture of the piece. The big, bloated sound doesn't help, IMO, and there are audible 'patches' from other performances. The great finale, that Boulez holds together so well, is unseam'd at every turn.

The trouble is EMI - and others - think a centenary is the opportunity for everyone to have a go, and I think this Mahler was ill-advised. In a field peppered with performances of real stature, who would want this?

[amateur51]

Morning Am51, Caliban

Yes, I was looking forward to it as well, but in the event it's terribly overblown - the antithesis of Zinman, for instance - and Pappano just doesn't seem to have a grip on the architecture of the piece. The big, bloated sound doesn't help, IMO, and there are audible 'patches' from other performances. The great finale, that Boulez holds together so well, is unseam'd at every turn.

The trouble is EMI - and others - think a centenary is the opportunity for everyone to have a go, and I think this Mahler was ill-advised. In a field peppered with performances of real stature, who would want this?

Thanks, Mahlerei!

I'll stick to me Horenstein and Rattle 'live' at the Proms

[BBMmk2]

This purchase, didn't have any effect on the monoplies commission?

[barber olly]

One might hope that preservation of that back catalogue is one of the good things about the sale, though it seems the EU might yet block the deal.

Interesting the EU blocking a deal where a French company acquires a British one, but then a proposal to merge EMI and Warner a few years ago did not go through but I can't remember why?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

My concern is that EMI will now go the way of that other great British recording company - Decca.
A sad day indeed.

[mathias broucek]

Well, from a consumer perspective, EMI have been doing us all proud lately with cheap back catalogue - for example the Tennstedt Mahler and non-Mahler boxes, the 4 Celi boxes, the Icon series etc have delivered fabulous material at £1 to £2 per disc. Whether this is a long-term business model, I'm less sure.

I can't imagine that Universal will perpetuate this approach.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I can't imagine that Universal will perpetuate this approach.

In the unlikely event that they do, expect some hideous artwork (postage stamps for example).

I suspect they'll licence the back catalogue to the highest bidder.

[DublinJimbo]

It'll all end in tears. Universal's track record is a shameful one (Philips, the disgraceful dumbing down of DG), and I cannot foresee their stewardship of EMI being any different.

Even the news reports about the acquisition concentrated on the back catalogue, and I'm sure that all we'll get will be more and more (most probably tasteless) re-packaging. Sadly, the so-called 'majors' have become irrelevant when it comes to classical music. Thankfully, we are graced with a wonderfully wide selection of other fine labels to turn to, many of which still have standards of excellence which they adhere to — Naxos (yes, Naxos: matured from mere budget label to producer of superb products, and now owners of Ondine), Hyperion, Harmonia Mundi, BIS, Channel Classics, PentaTone (these last two offsprings of the once-great Philips), Dacapo, Chandos, Naïve: things are far from bad. And these labels and others like them have the advantage of being purely Classical, free of the encumbrance of the obscene contract sums EMI paid to its 'pop' elite.

[barber olly]

I suppose it could be argued it has taken 49 years for Decca to sign The Beatles.